Phyllonorycter aarviki De Prins, 2012

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 121-123

42. Phyllonorycter aarviki De Prins , new species

( Figs 86 , 240–242 , 333 , 393 , 445 )

Diagnosis. The wing pattern of P. aarviki superficially resembles P. anchistea and P. melanosparta . However, P. aarviki is generally smaller and has a slightly lighter coloration than the latter two species. Male genitalia are distinguishable by the long, strong, dagger-like distal part of valva, which is narrower than in P. melanosparta and P. anchistea and resembles the spine-like process on sacculus of P. jabalshamsi .

Female genitalia of P. aarviki resemble those of P. anchistea , but show at least four diagnostic differences:

Base of appendages of sterigma in P. anchistea situated at the posterior margin of sterigmatic plate, whereas in P. aarviki appendages originate from anterior margin of sterigmatic plate.

Appendages angulated in P. anchistea and gently curved in P. aarviki .

Antrum sclerotized in P. anchistea and not so in P. aarviki .

Segment VII is significantly longer in P. anchistea than in P. aarviki .

Holotype: ♀, [1] ‘ Tanzania / Morogoro Distr[ict]. & / Town , 550–600 m / 25.iii.1992 / leg. L. Aarvik’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3497♀ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA 00370’; specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000004128 ’; [5] ‘Holotype ♀ / Phyllonorycter / aarviki / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA.

Paratype: ♂, Yemen: prov.[ince] Shabwah, Abdalla Garib Plateau, 1335 m, 63 km NW [Al] Mukalla, 2.v.1999, leg. M. Fibiger et al.; specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000006149, gen. prep. De Prins 3716♂ (MRAC/ KMMA 00658), in RMCA.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 86 ). Forewing length: ca. 2.3 mm. Wing span ca. 6.0 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted, brown ochreous with a suffusion of white scales; predominant on occiput, directed posteriad; frons smooth, shiny snowy white, covered with long appressed piliform scales. Labial palpus ca. 1.5 longer than eye, straight, directed downwards, palpomeres white dorsally,with a few of ochrous scales aligned in a longitudinal row on palpomeres I and II; maxillary palpus white; haustellum light beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, pale ochreous grey dorsally, dirty whitish ventrally; flagellomeres, except pedicel, with fuscous subapices; pedicel white basally with dark ochreus brown apex; scape golden ochreous with 8-9 white pecten of similar length about half diameter of eye.

Thorax: Light ochreous; tegulae uniformly ochreous. Forewing ground colour bright ochreous with blackish fuscous markings consisting of basal streak, two transverse fasciae, three costal strigulae, and marked blackish-fuscous area along termen; basal streak very slender, consisting only from one row of scales, angulated, runs parallel to dorsum to 1/5 of forewing; first costal strigula at 1/4, narrow, rod shaped, truncate, oblique toward apex of forewing; first fascia at 1/3, sharply angulated medially, thicked at angle; second costal strigula short and thick rectangular just beyond middle of forewing, second fascia at apical 1/3 of forewing, reversed Y-shaped, one forked branch sinuate –to apical 1/3 of dorsum, other branch sinuate to tornus; third costal strigula rod shaped, fusing with blackish fuscous apical marking at apex; blackish fuscous apical marking broadly spread along termen; fringe along termen white tipped, shiny golden along dorsal margin. Hindwing pale grey with long pale fuscous fringe of same shading than hindwing. Fore femur dark fuscous dorsally, dirty white ventrally, fore tibia irrorated with dark ochreous scales dispersed irregularly, tarsomere I dirty white with brown ochreous subapex, tarsomere II dirty white with ochreous apex, terminal tarsomeres shiny ochreous. Mid-femur light ochreous, mid-tibia white with three brownish fuscous markings: basal circular band and two oblique tapering longitudinal stripes, one running from 1/2 of tibia to subapex, other smaller from subapex to apex, tibial spurs dirty white; tarsomere I white with narrow ochreous subbasal and apical patches, tarsomere II white ochreous apex; tarsomere III–IV dirty white; tarsomere V ochreous. Hind femur beige with some ochreous scales medially, hind tibia pale beige, medial spurs white with 1–2 dark brown scales medially, apical spurs white with narrow brown line submedially, tarsomere I white with a 2 small ochreous scales medially, tarsomere II–III dirty white with dark brown apices, tarsomere IV white with golden shine, tarsomere V ochreous with darker apex.

Abdomen: Greyish fuscous dorsally except for ochreous shade on genitalia; whitish with ochreous shade ventrally. Sternum VIII of male triangular, ca. 295 µ m long, tapering to narrowly rounded caudal apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 240–242 ). Tegumen long, conical, ca. 460 µm long, angled medially, tegumenal arms relatively broad, well sclerotized, narrower, but longer than saccus, ventral surface of tegumen along longitudinal axis densely setose with slender short, horizontally arranged in tree-shape, setulae (visible at 250× enlargement), apex gently truncate, covered with multiple micro spinulae. Valvae symmetrical, valva elliptical, ca. 245 µm long and ca. 140 µm wide, gently rounded at cucullus, sacculus with a long (significantly longer than width of valva), dagger-like spine, ca. 210 µm long; slender, sharp, needle-like spinule from subcaudal part of dagger-like appendage, directed towards cucculus and forming ca. 30° angle with major spine, spinule almost half length compared with major dagger-like appendage. Double tipped spinule present on apical ventral margin of cucculus; ventral apical area of cucculus with 6 tiny spinules and several tubercules bearing stiff setae, setose tubercules are randomly distributed along apical half of ventral surface and subcostal margin of valva. Vinculum rather long, ca. half of valval length, V-shaped, producing relatively broad saccus of median length, saccus becomes narrow medially, and lightly widens caudally. Transtilla complete, slender, trapezoid, with two sharply pointed lateral barbs on cephalic margin. Aedoeagus rather long, more than twice as long as valva, slightly longer than ca. 500 µm, with broaden coecum (caudal part of coecum abrupt), gently tapering towards narrow truncate apex, vesica with two slender cornuti, ca. 105 µm long, somewhat parallel, but joint at apex with small sclerotized plate (observed at 400× enlargement).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 333 ). Papillae anales slightly ventrodorsally compressed, rather long, ventrally longer than dorsally, oval shaped, with slender long setation of equal length distributed over entire surface of papillae anales; basal bar absent, bases of posterior apophyses diamond-shaped. Posterior apophyses very long, almost straight, slender, with slight enlargent at posterior 1/3, reaching middle of segment VII, apically pointed. Segment VIII long and narrow, weakly sclerotized; anterior apophyses absent. Segment VII rather short and weakly sclerotized. Ostium bursae located at subposterior sector of segment VII, sterigma large volcano-shaped projection of cuticle with appendages initiating at lamella antevaginalis; appendages short and narrow, about 1/4 as long as posterior apophyses, gently curved with pointed apices. Antrum not sclerotized. Ductus bursae moderate, slightly longer than segment VII, very narrow, sinuous. Corpus bursae very small, elongated, with a tiny oval signum with two terminal barbs on lateral edges.

Note: It it possible that both specimens of different sexes representing this species belong to two cryptic species. We provisionally consider them a single species based on external morphology until future studies provide more precise information.

Etymology. The species is named after Leif Aarvik, collector of the holotype, to honour his contribution to the studies of Afrotropical micromoths. He is a lepidopterist at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo.

Habitat. Dry semi urbanized areas along the Indian Coast and in Eastern Africa ( Fig. 445 ).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults fly in late March (Eastern Africa) and in early May (Coast of Arabian Peninsula).

Distribution. ( Fig. 393 ). Recorded from two localities: one in Tanzania and the second in Yemen. There are no records between these two distant localities, but we postulate that this species can be found in the area between. Life-History: P. aarviki is larviparous ( Fig. 333 ).

Figures

FIGURES 81–86. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 81, Phyllonorycter didymopa, holotype 6494♀, South Africa, Tswaing, 16.i.1955, in TMSA. 82, Phyllonorycter didymopa, ♀, South Africa, Tswaing, 16.xi.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003287. 83, Phyllonorycter loxozona, holotype ♀, Uganda, Busunju, 02.x.1935, leg. H.C. Taylor, in BMNH. 84, Phyllonorycter loxozona, ♀, South Africa, Rustenburg, 10–17.xi.1976, leg. Potgieter & Molekane, in TMSA. 85, Phyllonorycter madagascariensis, holotype, Antananarivo, leg. R. Paulian. The drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the original description and the drawing of Viette (1949: 175–176, fig. 5). 86, Phyllonorycter aarviki, holotype ♀, Tanzania, Morogoro, 25.iii.1992, leg. L. Aarvik, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004128.

FIGURES 240–242. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 240–242, Phyllonorycter aarviki, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/ KMMA 00658, in RMCA. 240, ventral view. 241, sternum VIII. 242, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 332–333. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 332, Phyllonorycter loxozona, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. 6110, in BMNH. 333, Phyllonorycter aarviki, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00370, in RMCA.

FIGURES 391–402. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 391, Phyllonorycter loxozona. 392, Phyllonorycter madagascariensis. 393, Phyllonorycter aarviki. 394, Phyllonorycter anchistea. 395, Phyllonorycter melanosparta. 396, Phyllonorycter melhaniae. 397, Phyllonorycter rongensis. 398, Phyllonorycter mida. 399, Phyllonorycter tsavensis. 400, Phyllonorycter obandai. 401, Phyllonorycter farensis. 402, Phyllonorycter fletcheri.

FIGURES 441–445. Habitats of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 441, Kakamega Forest, Kenya, April 2003. The habitat is the most eastern relict of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. 442, Faro River area, Cameroon, May 2005. The habitat is a repeatedly burned savannah and bush land. 443, Mayumbe Forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 2007. The habitat is an undisturbed primary rain forest. 444, Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda, August 2008. The habitat is a montane rain forest. 445, Morogoro are, Tanzania, July 2009. The habitat is variable: transitional dry lowland /submontane woodland.